Nigeria Makes Surgical History With First Remote Robotic Operation In West Africa

By TOSI ORE & STELLA JOHNSON OGBOVOVEH

A Landmark in Remote Surgery

NIGERIA has recorded what health authorities and the participating medical institutions described as West Africa’s first tele-robotic surgery, opening a new chapter in the country’s adoption of advanced surgical technology.

The procedure was performed on Saturday through a collaboration involving the Redeemer’s Health Village (RHV), RoboMed Global and Nisa Premier Hospital, Abuja. While the patient remained at Nisa Premier Hospital, the surgeon operated remotely from a Toumai robotic console at RHV.

The operation was a telesurgery-assisted, robot-assisted right radical nephrectomy, a procedure carried out to remove a kidney affected by a cancerous tumour.

Tele-robotic surgery, also known as remote surgery, allows a surgeon to perform an operation on a patient from a different physical location using robotic surgical systems and telecommunications technology.

Surgeon Operates Across Locations

Professor of Urology and Transplantation, Prof. Obi Ekwenna Davis, who led the operation, said the procedure demonstrated that telesurgery could be performed safely between different locations.

Davis, who is also a co-founder of RoboMed Global, described the achievement as significant for RHV and its partners.

“Distance should never decide who receives safe surgery,” he said, describing the procedure as an example of what safe and trusted surgery could offer.

According to him, the patient was in good condition after the operation and was expected to be discharged within 24 hours.

The surgery lasted approximately three hours. Davis said there were brief stoppages during the procedure to ensure that the robotic equipment and other systems were functioning properly.

Connecting Specialist Skills to Patients

The operation also demonstrated how collaboration between healthcare institutions could allow specialist expertise to reach patients without requiring them to travel to another city or country.

Davis said it was the first time two hospitals in different parts of Nigeria had successfully collaborated to deliver surgical care through a tele-robotic procedure.

For Nigeria, the model could potentially create a mechanism through which specialists located in one part of the country can provide surgical expertise to patients elsewhere, provided the necessary technology, connectivity, equipment and trained personnel are available.

However, Davis stressed that the long-term sustainability of the initiative would depend heavily on continuous training.

He announced plans for the establishment of a robotic academy that would train surgeons and other medical professionals. The programme, he said, aims to train at least 150 surgeons within two years.

Push to Reduce Medical Tourism

RHV Chief Executive Officer, Dr Adedamola Dada, described the operation as the first telesurgery in West Africa.

He said the 300-bed faith-based multispecialty hospital was established to promote innovation and provide advanced healthcare services at affordable costs.

According to Dada, the development demonstrated that Nigerians could access modern medical treatment without necessarily travelling abroad.

He said the initiative was not primarily designed as a profit-making venture but was intended to demonstrate the possibilities of modern healthcare in Nigeria.

Dada added that the introduction of robotic surgery and telesurgery was part of efforts to reduce medical tourism by expanding access to complex surgical procedures within the country.

Training Identified as Key to Sustainability

Dada said RHV was working with RoboMed Global to establish a robotic academy that would train doctors, surgeons, nurses, biomedical engineers and product specialists.

He urged the government to support Nigerian medical professionals seeking specialised training in robotic surgery.

He specifically called for scholarships that would enable surgeons, nurses and biomedical engineers to acquire the necessary skills.

Dada said building a larger pool of trained professionals over the next two to three years would strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to perform robotic procedures locally.

Connectivity Remains Critical

Despite the milestone, the participants acknowledged that tele-robotic surgery depends on more than the availability of robotic equipment.

Dada said reliable connectivity was essential to the success of remote surgery. He noted that weather conditions could sometimes affect network connectivity, while equipment quality and the availability of skilled personnel were also critical.

The hospital, he said, had put measures in place to address possible connectivity challenges by using reliable networks.

These requirements highlight the infrastructure needed to make remote surgery sustainable beyond individual landmark procedures.

Building Local Capacity

Nisa Premier Hospital Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Dr Ibrahim Wada, said the facility had been a centre for robotic surgery in West Africa since November 2025.

He said the latest procedure showed what could be achieved when Nigerian healthcare institutions combined their capabilities.

The patient, Wada noted, received specialist surgical expertise from elsewhere in Nigeria without leaving Abuja.

RHV Board Chairman, Dr. Kunle Onakoya, also described the procedure as historic and urged those involved to recognise their contribution to the milestone.

Journalists watched the operation live on television at RHV, providing a public demonstration of the remote surgical process.

For Nigeria’s healthcare system, the procedure represents more than the use of a new machine. It demonstrates an emerging model in which technology, specialist expertise, telecommunications and collaboration between hospitals can be combined to deliver complex surgical care across geographical boundaries.